Env Studies/English 243: Introduction to Nature Writing

Welcome to the website for Introduction to Nature Writing, cross-listed as Environmental Studies 243 and English 243.

This country’s wisdom still resides in its populace, in the pragmatic and generous spirits of everyday citizens who have not forgotten their kinship with nature. They are individuals who will forever hold the standard of the wild high, knowing in their hearts that natural engagement is not an interlude but a daily practice, a commitment each generation must renew in the name of the land.”--Terry Tempest Williams, Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert (New York: Vintage, 2002), 70.

What will we be doing in this course, you ask? Well, the course begins with an overview of American nature writing, and in the second half of the course we will examine closely two nature writers: Terry Tempest Williams and Edward Abbey. Below are links to the course syllabus, assignments, and supplementary material that helps students understand the topics we will be covering.